Liquid-type air fresheners have been commercially available for many years. One such air freshener includes a lower portion, which contains a scent-producing liquid, and an upper portion, which holds a scent pad. A wick, which is made from material different from that of the scent pad, conveys the scent-producing liquid to the scent pad by capillary action. Because the scent pad and the wick are separate and autonomous elements, it is difficult to maintain them in the intimate contact required to achieve the proper transfer of the scent-producing liquid from the wick to the scent pad. If the scent-producing liquid is not properly transferred from the wick to the scent pad, the diffusion of the liquid into the surrounding atmosphere will be impaired, thereby adversely affecting the operation of the air freshener.
The operation of this prior art air freshener is also adversely affected by its use of the scent pad, which functions like a filter and therefore is susceptible to clogging. If the scent pad becomes clogged, it will no longer diffuse the scent-producing liquid into the surrounding atmosphere at a constant and uniform rate.
Another disadvantage of this prior art air freshener is its susceptibility to leakage due to the threaded connection which exists between an external surface of its lower portion and an internal surface of its upper portion. The use of a threaded connection is also disadvantageous because it increases production costs and complicates the assembly process.